Friday, August 22, 2008
Posted at 2:45 PM
Convection increasing in outer circulation of Fay
Through late afternoon, considerable cloud cover will limit daytime heating, but with a tropical airmass covering the area, scattered to numerous showers will spread quickly northeast at 30 mph across most of the area. The main hazards will be brief torrential downpours with strong wind gusts. Areas where enough heating occurs will also receive occasional lightning strikes. There is a chance that an outer rainband could remain nearly stationary and produce training of showers, which would lead to localized flooding.
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Mid afternoon visible satellite showed the center of Tropical Storm Fay moving across the Florida Big Bend area. The very tropical airmass over the state is resulting in a lot of cloudiness, which is limiting daytime heating. However, some breaks in the cloudiness will produce enough heating for bands of showers and isolated storms to form. Cells will be fast moving, but nearly stationary rainbands could dump a lot of rain in a short period of time, 2-3 inches and produce localized flooding, or enhance ongoing flooding. With strong wind fields and low level shear, there is a threat of isolated tornadoes. So far we have not had strong rotation in cells, but a few have exhibited weak rotation.
Posted by Randy Lascody
Posted at 12:44 PM
Outer rainbands to produce tropical downpours
Through early afternoon...considerable cloud cover will limit daytime heating...but with a tropical airmass covering the area...scattered to numerous showers will develop. The main hazards will be brief torrential downpours with strong wind gusts. Areas where enough heating occurs will also receive occasional lightning strikes. There is a chance that an outer rainband could remain nearly stationary and produce training of showers, which would lead to localized flooding.
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At midday, visible satellite showed the center of Tropical Storm Fay moving across the Florida Big Bend area. The very tropical airmass over the state is resulting in a lot of cloudiness, which is limiting daytime heating. However, some breaks in the cloudiness will produce enough heating for bands of showers and isolated storms to form. Cells will be fast moving, but nearly stationary rainbands could dump a lot of rain in a short period of time, 2-3 inches and produce localized flooding, or enhance ongoing flooding. With strong wind fields and low level shear, there is a threat of isolated tornadoes.
Posted by Randy Lascody
Posted at 10:53 AM
Heaviest Fay rainbands lifting out across far north sections
The center of Tropical Storm Fay was moving across the Florida Big Bend area late this morning. A rainband with heavy rain and strong wind gusts trailed to the southeast of the center and was affecting Volusia and north Lake counties. Elsewhere, there was considerable cloudiness with some areas of lighter rain. Considerable flooding was occurring from north metro Orlando north and westward, but the chances for additional widespread heavy rain there should decrease by early afternoon.
Afternoon heating south of Orlando and Cape Canaveral to around Lake Okeechobee should lead to the enhancement of outer rainbands. Because of strong winds and favorable shear, isolated tornadoes may occur. Training echoes may lead to flooding in these rainbands, though the areal coverage will not be nearly as high as from the widespread rains that have occurred near the center of Fay for the last several days.
Posted by Randy Lascody